Mir Haflok
The son of a poor farmer, Mir Haflok was born in the Empire. Like many his age, he was desperate to escape a life of drudgery, so he ran away from home when he was ten. Unprepared for the realities of the wilderness, he might have died if it were not for a travelling monk. Finding the lad half-frozen, starved, and frightened, the monk brought the boy to his monastery, where he nursed him back to health. When he was well, he discovered he was amongst the Sigmarites and learned of their life, their training, and their travels. Impressed, he accepted their offer to join them, and so he gave his life to Sigmar. In the six years he studied with the Sigmarites, he trained to be a warrior, but he also learned much more. Long did he study history, strategy, theology, and countless other subjects. While his body grew, becoming an imposing figure, so too did his mind. He thought to set down his sword and lift the brush, but his talents at swordplay, his great size, and his ferocity landed him in the martial service to his God and Empire. For a year, Haflok fought in various skirmishes within the Empire, and word of his might and valour spread. Soon, a band of loyal warriors clamoured to his banner, vowing their service to him and hoping and to learn from his wisdom. But Haflok was frustrated. Despite his best efforts, war was endless. Fighting in the Empire achieved nothing. To stop his foes, he would have to travel into the bowels of corruption and take the war to his foes. And so, Haflok and his men passed through the Black Fire Pass and into the Border Princes. In this wretched place, Haflok found what he had suspected, a steady stream of Orcs and scoundrels sneaking into the Empire to wreak havoc and plunder. Haflok and his men drove the bandits and warbands back, scattering or shattering each attack, marching ever southward, until they reached the shadow of Iron Rock. The massive Greenskin fortification was home to more Goblins and Orcs than even Haflok could combat, so he settled himself on the northern side of a tributary of the Blood River and dared them to cross against him. After a month, Haflok and his men tired of camping along the riverbank and erected a few crude buildings behind them to serve as shelters and dining halls and meeting places. Then a few people who lived nearby approached and asked if they could move their home closer to the warriors for protection. Haflok agreed. More locals appeared over the next few months, resettling alongside, and soon a town had sprung up around Haflok’s men. Everyone in the town treated Haflok as their leader. At first, Haflok considered driving the people away, telling them he was not their ruler. But then he reconsidered. The people were safe with him, and who was he to deny them that comfort? Perhaps this was the purpose Sigmar had chosen for him, to stand against the Greenskins and protect the people along this border. If so, he could only do his best to serve. So Haflok became a ruler, first of that town and then of the entire stretch between the Blood River tributary and the Howling River. In his time here, he has faced increasing violence not only from the south but also from his neighbours to the north and west, who seem threatened by both his piety and his armed forces. What they do not realise is Haflok has no intention of expanding his realm. All he wants is to hold his south border against the Greenskins of Iron Rock and the Badlands beyond, and keep his own people safe. He is a warrior, however, and he uses force against his neighbours if necessary. Haflok is a devout man, and his beliefs make him honest and direct, even blunt. Despite his appearance, Haflok is at heart a poet and painter. His first loves are beauty and art, and he desperately wants to set aside his warlord image and fill his land with beauty, sophistication, and culture. Haflok is a tall, powerfully built man with rugged, almost handsome features and surprisingly delicate, long-fingered hands. He wears simple clothes when not in armour, a plain white shirt and brown trousers with a tunic bearing Sigmar’s Hammer symbol. In battle, Haflok wears full armour, clearly well-used but also well-tended, and the hammer symbol is etched into both his breastplate and his shield. Source * : Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Lure of the Liche Lord ** : pg. 15 ** : pg. 16 Category:Cult of Sigmar Category:Empire Characters Category:Border Princes Characters Category:M Category:H